What causes Bacterial Meningitis? How is it treated?

Question

Need an answert for a real important project. Please help worth 82% of grade

Thanks

Answer 1

You contact Bacterial Meningitis from being exposed to the sputum (snot, phlegm, spit, ect) of a person who has been infected with Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The bacteria attacks the mengese (the fluid around the brain and spinal chord)

Answer 2

The bacteria that cause this meningitis can be carried in the nose and throat of healthy people. Neiserria meningitidis can be fatal and has been a problem for college students living in dorms. Most colleges know require that all incoming students be vaccinated.
One strain of this bacteria can cause a hemorrhagic form - which means that the person gets giant bruises.

Answer 3

Bacterial Meningitis, is an airborne disease, which can affect the brain cells , causing swelling of the brain, and yellow flashing lights, when seeing. also causing swelling of the joints, and can be transferred Thur sputum, or spit. , its found by being diagnosed by a spinal tab. ( A large , lengthy needle, to the lower -mid back area.where the fluid is withdrawn.)anesthesia is use , so the patient will not feel pain. also the person is kept in isolation, for a period of time. and the room is kept dark, because of the sensitive of light to the eyes.

Answer 4

Meningitis can be caused by Meningococcus, Pneumococcus, or more rarely other organisms. I saw a case caused by Hemophilis.

Answer 5

Oftentimes when there is brain damage other parts of the brain take over for the damaged area. Neurons don't grow back but seeing as how the baby is less than a year old and still in the earliest stages of development then I wouldn't think that she would be mentally retarded. Best of luck

Answer 6

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation is usually caused by bacteria or viruses (viral meningitis is also called aseptic meningitis). Less common causes include fungi, protozoa, and other parasites. Sometimes certain medications, cancers, or other diseases can inflame the meninges, although such noninfectious cases of meningitis are much rarerBacterial meningitis is less common than viral meningitis but is usually much more serious and can be life-threatening if not treated promptly. Many different types of bacteria can cause meningitis: Group B Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes are the most common causes of meningitis in newborns. Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) and Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus) are more frequent in children older than 2 months of age. Before the 1990s, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of meningitis in children in the United States. But the widespread use of the Hib vaccine as a routine childhood immunization has dramatically decreased the frequency of meningitis caused by Hib.
Bacterial meningitis occurs in people of all ages but is more common in the very young (infants and young children) and the elderly (people above age 60). Teenagers and college students are also slightly more at risk for the disease because of time spent in close contact with many of their peers. Viral meningitis occurs in people of all ages, although it is more common in children.First the doctor will take a history and perform a physical examination. If meningitis is suspected, the doctor will order laboratory tests to help make the diagnosis. The tests will likely include a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to collect a sample of spinal fluid. This sample will be examined for signs of inflammation and cultured for the organism that may be causing the infection.

It is crucial to fight cases of bacterial meningitis quickly. If a child is diagnosed with (or strongly suspected to have) bacterial meningitis, doctors will start intravenous antibiotics as soon as possible, often before the exact microorganism causing the infection has been pinpointed. Once the infectious agent is identified through laboratory tests, the antibiotics can be changed, if necessary, or discontinued if the patient turns out to have viral meningitis.

If the child is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, he or she will be hospitalized and closely monitored. While in the hospital, the child will continue to receive antibiotics and may require intensive-care treatment. The child will receive fluids to replace those lost to fever, sweating, vomiting, and poor appetite, and may be given corticosteroids to help reduce inflammation of the meninges, depending on the cause of the disease.

Complications of bacterial meningitis may require specific treatment. For example, anticonvulsants can be given for seizures. If the child develops shock or low blood pressure, additional intravenous fluids and certain medications may be given to increase blood pressure. Some children may need supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation if they have difficulty breathing.

A child who has viral meningitis may also be hospitalized, although some children are allowed to recover at home if they do not seem to be too ill. With the exception of medication for the herpes simplex virus, there are no medications to fight the agents that cause viral meningitis, so treatment is usually aimed at relieving the child's symptoms. This includes rest, fluids, and over-the-counter pain medication.

Some patients who have had meningitis may require longer-term follow-up. One of the most common problems resulting from bacterial meningitis is impaired hearing, and children who have had bacterial meningitis should have a hearing test following their recovery.

Home Treatment
Any child with suspected meningitis should be seen by a doctor. Once a diagnosis has been made, all patients with bacterial meningitis and many with viral meningitis will be treated in the hospital. Older children whose laboratory tests show no signs of bacterial meningitis and who have milder symptoms may be sent home to recover. There they should get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. If necessary, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) or ibuprofen (such as Advil or Motrin) can be used to relieve fever and headache.

Children who recover at home need to be closely watched by their parents and followed by their doctors. If the condition of a child recuperating at home worsens, the child should go to the emergency department right away.

When to Call Your Child's Doctor
Seek medical attention immediately if you suspect your child has meningitis or if your child exhibits symptoms such as vomiting, headache, lethargy or confusion, neck stiffness, rash, and fever. Infants who have fever, irritability, poor feeding, and lethargy should be assessed by a doctor right away.

If your child has had contact with someone who has meningitis (for example, in a child-care center or a college dorm), call your child's doctor to determine whether your child should take preventive medication.

Answer 7

who knows

Answer 8

Bacterial meningitis is a contagious and infectious disease of the central nervous system (CNS). It iscaused by Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. Gram positive bacterial meningitis organisms include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus epidermis, or Listeria monocytogenes. Gram negative bacterial meningitis is caused by Neisseria meningitides, Haemophilus influenzae, or Escherichia coli. Cases of bacterial meningitis are commonly due to one of the three species of bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitides.

Meningitis may occur due to many risk factors including gender, age, crowded living conditions, exposure to insects and rodents, failure to be immunized against mumps, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, failure to be vaccinated against Streptococcus pneumoniae as an adult, traveling to areas where meningitis is prevalent, and direct contact to infected persons. Genetics is a risk factor because a person inherits those genes that cause them to get infected by those organisms that cause bacterial meningitis. Age is a risk because the elderly, young children, and babies may not have a strong enough immune system to combat the organisms. Crowded living condition is another risk factor because organisms spread easily from person to person. Examples of crowded places would be dorms and child day care centers. Children in day care centers may not wash their hands after going to the bathroom; therefore, the organisms are spread when other children come into contact with the contaminated hands. Insects and rodents also are vectors in transporting the bacterial organisms. Furthermore, failure to be vaccinated does not build the immune system up to fight these bacteria. Therefore, people are susceptible to being infected by these bacteria. Travelers to other countries wherebacterial meningitis is prevalent are also at an increased risk of being infected. Meningitis is prevalent inAfrica, Mali, andSaudi Arabia. Also, many cases of bacterial meningitis have been reported in the United States. Direct contact such as coughing, kissing, or even sharing utensils is also a vector in spreading the bacteria into other living systems. Other risk factors include respiratory tract infection, otitis media, head trauma, alcoholism, sickle cell disease,and weather (spring and winter seasons

Treatment of Bacterial Meningitis

A. Replacement of fluids and reduction of fever.

B. First Choice Antibiotics4:

1. Gram-positive bacteria:

a. Staphylococcus epidermis: Nafcillin or Vancomycin

b. Streptococcus pneumoniae:

Penicillin G

Cefotaxime, or Ceftriaxone, and Vancomycin

Penicillin /- Gentamicin

c. Listeria monocytogenes: Ampicillin or Penicillin

2. Gram-negative bacteria:

a. Neisseria meningitides: Penicillin G

b. Haemophilus influenzae: Cefotaxime or Ampicillin

c. Escherichia coli: Cefotaxime or Ceftriaxone

Penicillins and third generation cephalosporins are mostly the first choice of antibiotics to treat bacterial meningitis. Examples of penicillins are penicillin G and ampicillin. Third generation cephalosporins include cefotaxime and ceftriaxone. Pencillins inhibit the cross-linking of peptidoglycans, which is stage III, in cell wall synthesis of bacteria. Cross-linking occurs with the aid of a transpeptidase enzyme. Penicillins resemble the Ala-Ala terminal of the peptidoglycans. As a result, penicillins block the active site and prevent the cross-linkage to occur. Third-generation cephalosporins bind to penicillin binding proteins, which lead to cell lyses.1

C. Other Antibiotic Treatments1:

1. Amoxicillin

Amoxicillin is a penicillin, which is inthe same drug class as ampicillin. Amoxicillin targets streptococcal bacteria. It is better absorbed than ampicillin. Amoxicillin may be as effective as or better than ampicillin.

2. Ciprofloxacin

Ciprofloxacin is in the drug class called quinolones. Quinolones inhibit DNA Topoisomerases II. More specifically, quinolones inhibit DNA Gyrase that is important in the DNA replication and transcription. DNA Gyrase has two subunits: A and B. Quinolones bind to the A subunit, which prevents the resealing of the nick of the circular DNA. This, in turn, causes the DNA to break. Quinolones also exert a second mechanism of inhibition. The second mechanism targets Topoisomerase IV, which is the enzyme that separates the strands of DNA after replication and during cell division. The key feature of quinolones is that they are selective to bacterial Topoisomerases and not human Topoisomerases. Ciprofloxacin could be an effective alternative treatment for bacterial meningitis due to its bactericidal mechanism of action.

3. Clindamycin

Clindamycin belongs to the class of drugs called lincomycins. The mechanism of action of lincomycins is similar to that of the drug class macrolides. Lincomycins are bacteriostatic agents that bind to the 50S subunit ofribosome involved in the translation of DNA into mRNA. Binding of lincomycins prevent the translocation of the peptidyl transfer-RNA from the A-site to the P-site of the ribosome. As a result, an incomplete peptide is released. Clindamycin are more effective for anaerobic organisms. The bacterial organisms that cause infection in meningitis are aerobic. Therefore, clindamycin may not be as effective in these organisms as it would be in anaerobic organisms.

4. Doxycycline

Doxycycline is in the drug class called tetracyclines. Tetracyclines reversibly inhibit protein synthesis. More specifically, these drugs inhibit the 30S subunit of the ribosome involved in the translation of DNA into mRNA. Tetracyclines prevent the attachment of the amino acyl transfer-RNA. Tetracyclines have selective toxicity in Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. They enter through porins in Gram Negative bacteria have porins, and Gram Positive cells based on lipophilicity. Doxycycline could also potentially be considered as an alternative antibiotic. However, it may not be considered due to the development of resistance of the bacteria as a result of efflux of drug outside the cells and production of bacterial proteins that leads to continued protein biosynthesis as a result of the drug bound to the ribosome.

5. Gentamicin

Gentamicin belongs to the aminoglycoside drug class. It is used for infections caused by Gram negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella. Aminoglycosides have two mechanisms of action. Aminoglycosides tightly bind to the 30S subunit of the ribosome in protein biosynthesis. They inhibit protein biosynthesis by interfering with amino acid polymerization and elongation, and impairing the proofreading mechanism which results in incorporating improper amino acids into the DNA sequence. Aminoglycosides are bactericidal because they produce nonsense proteinsthat will disrupt normal cell functions of the cell. In addition, the inability of the cell to make proteins could also lead to cell death. Gentamicin can be used as an adjunct to penicillin for the treatment of bacterial meningitis caused by the Gram positive Streptococcus pneumoniae.

6. Metronidazole

Metronidazole is similar to a drug class called nitrofurans. The nitro group (NO2) isreduced, which inhibits enzymatic reactions. Some of these reactions include energy producing reactions. These reactions take place in the cytoplasm of bacterial cells. Furthermore, free radical formation reactions may be coupled to the inhibition of enzymatic reactions which could lead to DNA damage. Metronidazole could be a potential drug choice due to its mechanism of action. Moreover, it could be used in vancomycin resistant cases.

7. Vancomycin

Vancomycin is a Stage II inhibitor of cell wall synthesis of bacteria. It targets the Gram positive streptomyces species. Due to the complexity of the Gram negative cell wall, it does not exert its mechanism of action against the Gram negative organisms. It is used in serious infections that are resistant to other antibiotics.